Welcome Home
by ella.lamb
Summary: Alpha has struck with her biggest move yet... Enid wakes up in an unfamiliar place with surrounding she recognizes, but doesn't. Everything's so done up and tidy... there aren't any walkers either. Where is she? ONE-SHOT


Death is a big thing in everyone's lives. I've experienced it, my friends have, everyone has at some point, or will sometime soon.

My parents died, then someone close to me died and I never fully recovered, even if it seems like I did. I put a smile on my face, sometimes real but sometimes fake. sometimes it's a facade, but others, i feel joy. Like when Maggie had her ultrasound or when—when him and I had-fun.

I don't talk about him, not anymore. I don't want to, I can't. I don't even say his name. Rick and Michonne didn't talk about him often. They've lost so much, even Rick is gone now, but at least he's with him.

But death pops up in surprising ways, especially in this crazy world we live in where the dead stick around to play.

Life used to be a lot easier.

All I saw was darkness, all I heard was screaming, clashing, and all I smelled was blood and tears.

Until I opened my eyes and saw light, a blinding light.

The sun burned my eyes and I felt grass underneath me, grass that didn't feel dehydrated and crumble under my fingers. Where am I?

I sat up quickly, realizing that I was laying down in the middle of nowhere. I am in a... a field?

The grass was soft and as I sat up I saw flowers filling the small clearing in the woods. It looked almost like a painting, something I haven't seen for awhile. I felt good, better then I had in awhile.

I felt the flowers against my fingertips and smiled. everything was so light, carefree.

I smelled the flowers and they reminded me of home. I looked up at the sun, shielding my eyes and saw birds flying passed the giant light in the sky.

Why do I feel this way? I shouldn't. Not now. I looked around and saw the woods ahead and ran towards it. The woods even seemed different, more done up and not covered in walkers.

Walkers. The dead.

I reached for a knife in case any popped and realized it wasn't there and that my clothes were not what they normally were. A dress, a white one.

No, this isn't right.

Are there even any here?

Only one way to know.

I ran up to a tree and grabbed a stick on the ground to cause a ruckus with. "HEY ASSHOLES! HEY SHITFACES! Hey—" I stopped as my stomach churned with sadness when those words left my mouth.

There was nothing here.

"Enid?" I heard a voice call.

I whipped around. My stomach dropped and my mouth gaped. "J-Jesus?"

The-seemingly-figure-of-Paul-Rovia-AKA-Jesus, smiled and pulled me in for a hug. "W-what are you doing here? Y-you're dead..."

"How are you here? Do you know?" he asked.

"Um no—I was in a clearing over there and then I came into the woods... I don't have my knife and there are no walk—"

"Enid, calm down," he put his hands on my shoulders.

"Is it really you?"

"Come with me," he gestured. "I know some people who wanna see you."

"Me? Who? Why?"

"Don't be afraid, there's no reason to be."

"In this world there's every—"

"Hey, there's no reason to be afraid. come with me," he reached his hand out.

I nodded and took it cautiously.

Jesus led me through the woods, onto a path covered in leaves. The area seemed familiar just—fixed and nicer. Trees were trimmed and not overgrown, a lighter green and smelled like nature.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"Looking for people to take in," he answered.

"Take in? Take in where—" we stopped at a very familiar looking gate.

Alexandria.

The sign read:

_welcome home. _

_welcome back._

"What the—"

The low gates opened and a whole new world was revealed. Kids were playing sports and braiding each other's hair, teens were laughing and adults were walking. A dog ran past me and birds flew overhead.

"Okay seriously, where am I? This is not Alexandria."

Jesus smirked and led me to a booth. "This is Enid."

The man behind the window smirked and handed me a key. "I'm Adrien. Welcome back, Enid. Your house is down the street, it says it all on the card."

I looked down and examined the card. "Why can't I just go back to my own house? Or the Hilltop?"

"Trust me, it's better."

Jesus smiled when I turned around again. "Let's go."

Ee walked in silence for a minute as I took in my surroundings. "Where are the walkers? Alpha and the whisperers?"

"Not here, not in this world," he said. "Your house is right up ahead, go say hello to your neighbors while notify your housemate."

"My 'housemate'?"

he nodded and ran off to 'my' house.

"Go enid," he pointed to the house next door.

I sighed and walked up the stairs. I took in a breath and knocked on the door.

My eyes widened and I dropped the keys in my hand. "M-mom?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jesus's POV

I knocked on the door of Enid's new house and no one answered.

"Come on open up," I knocked louder. I sighed and saw that Enid was inside her parents house, so I ran over and grabbed the key that she dropped.

I unlocked the door and went inside, closing it behind me. No one was in the living room and i heard something drop upstairs.

I ran up and went into the room. "You can't lay in bed forever."

Nothing.

"I know you're awake, you're not exactly quiet. I heard something fall."

"I could've kicked something off the bed in my sleep," he muttered.

"Tidy up, you're getting a housemate."

He sat up and looked at me. "Seriously, why?"

"Because you're assigned together."

He groaned and fell back. "I don't want a housemate."

"Stop being so miserable," Jesus said. "Make this house look decent, the person will be here soon."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Mom where am I?" I cried and broke the hug that has been held for what seems like forever now.

My mom looked over at Jesus approaching behind us and he nodded at her. "Let's go sit baby."

Two people started running down the stairs, my dad and my brother. I hugged both of them and told them how much I missed them, until everything calmed down and we were sitting around the coffee table in the living room.

"Enid, how did we die?" mom asked

I looked at my hands. "Walker bites."

"That's what we thought," dad said.

"What?"

"See here," Jesus started. "You don't know how you die, until someone present is there to telly you. Or, if you saw the person you were with die the same way as you."

"But how does someone present tell you..." I trailed off and looked at him. "Wait, am I in the afterlife?!"

Everyone nodded and Jesus smiled. "You're home now. Here, you reunite with lost ones and _we_ are the dead. There are no walkers, no Saviours, no Whisperers and Alpha I guess, and no loss," Jesus explained, remembering her mention someone named Alpha and Whisperers earlier. He figured Alpha was the leader of the the walker-like things that killed him.

"Is _everyone_ here?" I managed.

"No, but a lot are. Lots from the four communities."

I talked to them a bit more. "Enid, honey, you should probably go home. It's getting late and you should meet your new housemate."

"What why? Why can't I live with you guys? My family? I don't want to leave you again."

"Oh just trust me," Jesus said.

I stood up. "Is he or she nice?"

"Yes," Jesus answered. "Currently moody, but good."

"Moody? Why?"

"Just come, you'll see."

I gave them one last hug and left with him.

"Jesus what—" a man ran up and stopped dead in his tracks before reaching the porch. My whole body froze.

"Enid is that you?"

"Glenn oh my god!" I ran up and hugged him tightly. "I missed you so much!"

He smiled and hugged me back. "This is a good place, the afterlife. But we don't always have everyone."

"Maggie's good, if that's what you're wondering. Jesus probably updated you on her status before he died, but she and Hershel are the leaders of Hilltop now. They're currently away for awhile with someone named Georgie, apparently trying to make the Hilltop and communities better built, but they're okay."

He smiled and tears sparkled in his eyes. "So, where are you off to?"

"My new house."

"But isn't that it?" he pointed to the one behind me.

"That's what I said! I don't know why I have to live with a _stranger_ when I can live with my mom, dad, and brother."

"Where is it?" Glenn asked.

Jesus pointed to the house next door and seemed to smirk a bit. "Oh... no you'll be fine I promise."

"Who lives there?"

"Enid—stop," Jesus told me.

I looked down. "I'm gonna go see if you're right."

"Hopefully he cleaned up," he mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Welcome to the afterlife Enid," Glenn smiled and I gave him one last hug.

"Thank you glenn, you too Jesus. Sorry for asking so many questions," I laughed a bit.

"No worries."

They both nodded and Jesus handed me back the keys I dropped before. I ran up and stopped just as I got to the door. This really is a lot to take in... i'm in the freaking afterlife! Everyone I love is here, mostly anyway. I need to find everyone. Abraham, cousins, Tara, Henry—if they died the same way I did because we were together—and... well, _him_.

I reached for the door handle and took a breath, but the door already quickly flew open by my new housemate.

I think the keys hit the ground harder this time, or maybe lighter as it slipped out of my already dangling arms.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Unknown POV

Jesus told me to clean up, so I will. I don't normally listen, but when Paul-Jesus-Rovia is serious, you should listen to him. I made my bed and threw a flannel on over my t-shirt and jeans. I went down the stairs of the soon to not be lonely house and tidied up. I put the plates in the sink and threw out left over food. I made sure the blankets were neat on the couch and the remotes were set on the table. I vacuumed and put my clothes away, did some of the dishes too.

To be honest, I needed the company. Ever since I got here, wherever here is, i've been lonely. Sure, in the afterlife you're supposed to reunite with the ones you love, but my mom isn't here and dad is still alive. _She_ isn't here either.

I ran back up to my room to wait and looked out the window. Here, things are different. Walkers are gone and everyone is happy, no risk of death because everyone is already dead.

Out the window, I saw Glenn running up to a girl and hugging her. The girl had straight brown hair that came up to her shoulders.

Is it? I watched the two interact, the girls back to me. I watched them as they talked, seeming to have a reunion. She turned a bit and started to walk towards me-well the house.

I instantly scrambled and bolted downstairs, taking half a breath before opening the door swiftly.

It is, it's her.

—-

Enid POV

His eyes are so blue, so beautiful. They haunted, well i don't know if haunted is the word, my dreams.

We wrapped our arms around each other and I felt him shake beneath me. We were both crying, just feeling each other there again.

Jesus and Glenn came up and waited at the bottom of the porch stairs.

He broke the hug, but didn't look at me. He bent down to get the keys and dragged me inside, not saying anything to Jesus and Glenn, but they knew.

"H-how..." he started and just hearing his voice again made me stomach churn. "Not you."

"I don't know how, but I'm here," I smiled and he wiped a tear from my eye.

We were standing behind the closed door. He looked like himself, but different. Classic flannel, blue and white. Long hair, just to past shoulders like mine, but...

I reached up and ran my thumb carefully against his right eye.

"Here we can be any version of ourselves we want. I want to be able to see clearly," he chuckled.

"I missed you so much, Carl."

"I missed you too, Enid."

We hugged again and it was the best feeling in the world.

—-

After a long day of reuniting with people, Carl and I sat in the living room of our new house watching TV.

I found out from Tara and Henry that we were piked by Alpha along with some others. I guess I didn't see how the others were murdered.

Carl spent the day by my side, not letting go of my hand for the most part. I thanked Jesus again for taking me home, talked to my mom, dad and brother.

We ate, ran in the woods and found that tree where carl and I almost kissed. We did, but we didn't over do it. I told him about his dad, he was upset, but he didn't believe he died because he would be there with them. I didnt either. We hoped that Michonne, Daryl, Judith and the others would find him again.

The Sanctuary was filled with lost Saviours remade, so was the Hilltop, the Kingdom and even Oceanside. We even saw Shiva! Shiva who still held the throne up at the Kingdom.

But now, we're exhausted and only want to be with each other. Carl and I surprisingly love the same types of movies.

The fire crackled underneath the TV and the room smelled like home. He was my home.

He held my hand still, like he was scared i would let go and vanish again. I would never leave him again, never not in a million years.

He let me wear one of his flannels, it smelled like him and honestly I always wanted to wear it, even before he passed. It was such a typical thing, to wear your boyfriend's clothes-whether its a sweatshirt or oversized shirt… but this meant so much more because I lost him for so long.

I told him all about how much Judith has grown, how much the communities have grown. Everything with Negan and how he might start to work together with everyone. He was happy to hear it, he knew they would do the right thing, he knew Negan would change.

I felt something on my shoulder, and turned to see his hair in my face. I moved my head forward a little and saw that he was fast asleep, breathing softly and gripping my hand loosely.

I smiled and cuddled into him more, leaning my head back again this. I grabbed the camera from the side table and took a picture of the two of us.

When it printed out I knew he would hate it, but I would keep it forever. I thought of the all nights he was probably sleeping alone, without anything to wake up to. His mom wasn't here, and he didn't have a housemate.

Until now. I gripped his hand tighter and listened to the pattern of his light breathing.

We're together again and don't have to be alone anymore.

Forever.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N:

I know that the 'unknown' POV wasnt really unknown, but to Enid it was.

This is a random little one shot that I wrote a few months ago and decided to post.

Thanks!


End file.
